


Thunder and it's comfort

by juliadava



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bruce and Loki are friends, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Lots of blushing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), the boys are tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-14 23:22:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15399846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juliadava/pseuds/juliadava
Summary: Bruce wakes up after hulking out to save Asgard. He now has to deal with the fact that he's pining for the god of thunder.





	1. 1

The first thing that registered in Bruce’s mind was that he was extremely sore. He felt like his entire body ached, begging him to stay still. Pain like this wasn’t stranger to Bruce. Ignoring his body’s pleads, he sat up, clenching his jaw at the sharp pains in his side. He glanced around, making sense of his surroundings. Due to the fact that stars were the only thing he could see from the windows, he assumed that he was in space. Before he could panic, he slowly began piecing everything together. Waking up from being the Hulk for two years, escaping an alien planet, flying a spaceship and then the most recent memory; jumping out of a spaceship and landing face-first onto a bridge which left him in complete dull pain. He groaned, pulling the blankets from the bed he had somehow ended up in up to his chest.

 

“Banner? You’re awake?” Bruce jumped, snapping his head into the direction of the voice. Thor sat in a reclining chair at the other end of the room, looking at him with sleepy eyes- or eye?

 

“Wha- what happened to your eye?” Bruce asked with a pathetically weak gravelly voice.

 

“My sister” Thor replied grimly, shrugging off the question as if it didn’t matter. Bruce couldn’t understand how Thor was acting so nonchalant about losing an eye, it seemed like he cared more about losing his hair.

 

Bruce shuffled around, scooting over to the side of the bed only to stop himself when he realized that he didn’t exactly have any clothes on.

 

“Ah, my friend. Try not to move much. Hulk managed to save you from any major injuries but you still dealt some” Thor said with his normal puppy dog-like bright smile. The god made his way across the room in strides and took a seat on the ridiculously large bed, next to Bruce. Bruce shuffled over to give Thor room, holding the blanket over himself awkwardly. Normally, this would be fine, but Bruce happened to be literally naked so it would only make sense that heat flushed his face. “You were quite brave, I’d like to thank you” Thor slapped Bruce’s back, not strong enough to hurt him but still powerful enough to make him jolt upwards, nearly losing grip on the blanket between his hands.

 

“Uhh, yea. No problem, buddy” Thor seemed to sense that he was uncomfortable as he got back to his feet.

 

“I will go fetch you some clothes now” Thor said cheerfully as he made his exit. Bruce waited until Thor closed the door behind him then began looking around the room. It was generally large, the bed being covered with various comfortable blankets and decorative pillows. The stylistic design was similar to that of Sakar’s so Bruce assumed that the ship he was on was from there, which made him realize why the bed he was in was so large and comfortable. He shuddered. A few minutes later, Thor returned carrying various layers of clothing.

 

“My apologies. There was no Midgardian clothing at hand” Thor’s sentence was apologetic but he sounded more excited as he handed Bruce some Asgardian clothing. Bruce unfolded the pieces of fabric, gazing over the designs. The shirt was a dark grey with gold laced around the cuffs and a darker grey band around the waist. The pants were black, they came down to the calves, the black boots with gold tones would likely come up to his calves, covering up the skin. Lastly, there was a dull green cloak with no hood. He glanced up to Thor who practically had sparkles in his eyes.

 

“Thank you” Bruce smiled, looking up at his friend. He was met with a heavy, strong hand connecting to his shoulder.

 

“Of course, I’ll only be down the hall” Thor’s hand lingered for a moment before he drew it back, circling around to where he had entered. As Thor left the room again, Bruce pulled himself out of the bed, wincing slightly to the pain of his weight shifting to his feet. He carefully slid on the clothing. Bruce had seen Asgardian fashion before, it was loose and robe-like. He was thankful for that as Tony’s tight fitting pants would only have worked for so long before it became overwhelmingly annoying. He pulled the shirt over his head then picked up the cloak and walked over to the nearby mirror, pulling it over his head and draping it around his shoulders. He glanced over himself for a moment, _this is weird._ He swallowed, running a hand through his curls. Bruce had been naked after hulking out, borrowed clothing that was far too tight or far too loose, he wasn’t one for being picky. But this was just, new to him. He looked, good? Well, besides the heavy eyebags and grey hairs.

 

“Wow” he mumbled, this was probably the first shred of confidence he had in a long time.

 

Bruce pushed through the door, walking out into the surprising long hall. This ship was _huge_ compared to the one they had used to escape Sakar, so clearly he had missed a lot while being Hulk. He peered down the side of the hall that had Thor’s loud and happy voice. The god was in conversation with three unfamiliar Asgardians, presumably talking about their adventure on that hell forsaken trash planet as he used his hands to portray a ship crashing. As he walked down towards Thor he glanced around, looking at all the different rooms. When he turned his gaze back to Thor, he made direct eye contact. Thor was staring at him, it almost looked like he was… admiring him? Bruce wished it wasn’t just his imagination. The thought made Bruce blush, ducking his gaze away from Thor’s bright blue eye.

 

“I was correct, you look dashing” Thor’s voice gave off that he was stunned, Bruce felt his confidence grow after that. Blush was clearly present on his face again, his throat feeling dry.

 

“Gah- god. Thanks, man” Bruce stumbled over his words, rubbing his arm awkwardly as he smiled up at Thor. Thor returned the smile. Little bursts of laughter tore their gazes away from each other, Thor’s face twisted with embarrassment.

 

“Right, well. I’ll catch up with the rest of you later.” Thor waved a goodbye to the Asgardians, who were still laughing among themselves. Thor’s hand came in contact with his shoulder again and he was being pulled into a new direction. “Come, Banner. I assume you’re hungry.” Bruce found himself confused, _why were they laughing?_ He pushed the thought away.

 

“Starving” He agreed, falling in toe beside Thor as he strode down the hall. Bruce was almost jogging to catch up.

 

“Then we shall have a feast! We have much to celebrate” Thor said with glee, confidence practically radiating off of him.

 

They continued down the long, curving hall. Bruce shifted his gaze up to Thor. He had only realized now that something wrong must’ve happened, if they had won the battle with Hela then why weren’t they at Asgard? The golden building was nowhere to be seen among the stars around them.

 

“Thor?” He blinked, locking gazes with the taller man as he turned his head to look down at Bruce. “What happened to Asgard?” he asked, concern filled him when Thor’s expression faltered from his normal happy one. There was silence for a moment, Thor had slowed down his walking speed.

 

“It was destroyed” Thor sounded so weak that it scared him, Bruce pressed his hand on his back supportively. _How could an entire planet be destroyed?_ Thor relaxed into Bruce’s touch. “It was the only way to save my people” he sounded surer of himself this time.

 

“Oh, Thor. I’m so sorry” Bruce said softly, moving to stand in front of him, bringing them both to a stop. Thor looked down at him, confused. Bruce had been extremely touchy and clingy to Thor during their time together on Sakar, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise when Bruce leaned up onto his tippy-toes to curve his arms around Thor’s neck in an embrace. The movement was soon reciprocated, strong arms moving their way around Bruce’s waist and holding them there for a few seconds before he heard someone clear their throat.

 

“Ahem.” Bruce pulled back, turning to see Loki leaned up against one of the walls. “I truly do apologize if I’m interrupting something, Brunhilde had requested I sought out my brother.” Loki was clearly speaking to Bruce, his blue-green eyes were impossible to read as they were constantly cold and judging. Bruce suddenly felt uneasy, which was likely Loki’s intent. “I’m sure she will be delighted to hear that Bruce has awoken and that you are no longer awaiting his return” Loki had turned his conversation back to Thor who was glaring daggers into Loki. _Wait, awaiting my return?_ Bruce’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

 

“I’m sure she will” Thor agreed, rather dryly. He gave Bruce a tiny thank you smile before continuing walking down the hall, this time they had Loki lingering behind. Silence hung in the air for some time, the sounds of their feet hitting the floor as they headed towards whatever destination Thor was dragging him to was the only noise.

 

They turned right, into a small lounge room. Brunhilde was relaxing back in what looked to be a beanbag chair and eating some of the Sakarian noodles that he had the displeasure to try. She greeted them with a smile, slurping up the noodles she had in her mouth and setting the bowl down.

 

“Hey, little guy! You’re finally up” Brunhilde beamed from her place in the beanbag chair and suddenly Bruce realized that he was surrounded by some of the most attractive people he’d probably ever lay his eyes on. Before Bruce could reply, Brunhilde spoke up again. “I like the outfit” she commented, looking him over. “It suits you” she picked up her noodles and started devouring them once more.

 

“Thank you” Bruce smiled shyly, taking a seat at the small table that was in the room. “How long was I out?” He asked, making small talk and being confused as to why she said finally.

 

“Nearly three days. My oaf of a brother made me check your breathing every five minutes” Loki groaned, sliding into the seat across from Bruce and bringing his hand up to rub his temples. What he said made Bruce’s heart flutter, _he cares that much?_ It was dumb, childish to think this way. Bruce knew it. Sure, he had developed a harmless crush on Thor way back when Ultron was still relevant, but it had never been a problem. It was starting to be now, he’d romanticize their interactions, make them seem bigger than they probably were. Thor was a literal god after all, he wouldn’t find any interest in the self-loathing scientist.

 

”The other guy was around for _three days?_ On a ship?” Bruce changed his thoughts, not knowing how to feel about the Hulk anymore. Clearly, he was his own person after two whole years of being around. “I hope he didn’t do anything stupid” Bruce sighed, wondering what destructive things he could’ve done, though he guessed that now Hulk could’ve just relaxed?

 

“Hey, he’s not stupid” Thor said with a defensive tone, his arms crossed on his chest like he was a five year old in an argument. Bruce felt weird about this too, Thor had somehow become friends with Hulk or ..more than friends? He didn’t exactly know the situation yet. Plus, he didn’t even know that Hulk knew anything besides anger and destruction so this was ground-breaking and honestly, overwhelming.  

 

“Yeah, right. Sorry” Bruce waved it away, “I’m still getting used to that” he said, watching as Thor smiled lightly towards him.

 

“You think too little of him, Banner. He’s .. sweet.” Thor un-crossed his arms and moved them to position on his hips. Bruce furrowed his brows with confusion and went to say something but was cut off by Loki and Brunhilde laughing amongst themselves.

 

“Food. You said you were hungry Banner, huh?” Thor’s words came out quickly and he didn’t give Bruce the chance to respond before he swiveled on his feet and walked out into the hallway. _That was weird._ Loki and Brunhilde exchanged humored glances and Bruce started to feel something was off, _why is everyone laughing?_

 

“Someone has a crush” Brunhilde spoke up, rising to her feet and taking a seat at the table next to Bruce. Loki snickered in response.

 

“You think so?” Bruce tipped his head in question, he wondered if Hulk was even capable of romance and how that would work.

 

“Thor may be 1500 years old but he acts like a child when it comes to crushes” Loki replied calmly as he looked over his black nail polished nails. His eyes flickered up to meet Bruce’s and he smirked, “I’ve seen it countless times”

 

“Do tell” Brunhilde said excitedly, leaning forwards on her elbows with her head resting in her hands. Bruce blinked in realization, this was the first normal conversation he had had with the Asgardian prince. It was strangely enough, _enjoyable?_

 

“He relies on his ego, shows off often. He’s far too sappy and sometimes even comes on too strong” Loki sighed as if it was painful to talk about. “This one time he was flirting far too much with a woman who was showing no signs of interest, the poor sap kept going until she had to tell him off” Loki started laughing, amusement sparkling through his eyes. “I’ve never seen him so confused, after that he moped around for the next month” Loki was laughing in between words, clearly enjoying outing Thor about his terrible flirting strategies. “As much as he is an oaf, he’s got a big heart. I give him that” He finished with a shrug, averting eye contact as he somewhat complimented his brother.

 

Bruce was taken aback, had he really.. wooed Hulk? The thought alone was amusing, Thor flirting with someone three times his size. It was also, kind of disappointing. He knew Thor didn’t have any feelings for him but this would just confirm it, Thor didn’t act like that around Bruce.

 

Movement by the entrance brought his attention backup, Thor had entered and was holding food he didn’t quite recognize. It looked to be in the shape of a pie. Bruce honestly didn’t care what it was, it just needed to not be a living thing.

 

Thor’s expression was puzzled and he stopped moving.“What were you talking about?” He asked, looking directly at Loki when he said it. Loki looked at Thor innocently, which only made him narrow his gaze.

 

“Oh, nothing. Just your pathetic love life” Loki finally responded with a guiltless smile. Thor sighed heavily, moving to take a seat next to his brother and setting the pie-type thing down on the tabletop. He turned to look at Loki fondly.

 

“It’s good to know you don’t change, brother” Thor sounded comforted, his hand reaching to hold Loki’s shoulder. Loki grimaced and pulled away from Thor’s grasp, looking disgusted.  

 

“Shut up” he hissed.

 

“Wow, you two get along” Brunhilde cut their bickering off, already eating her second piece of the pie. Her feet were kicked up onto the table and she leaned back watching them like it was entertainment. Bruce watched her completely devour the food in awe. _She’s amazing._

 

Thor helped Bruce set up a plate and explained that the pie came from one of Asgard’s allied planets. It was interesting to learn about how the cultures were all so different yet learned to work an alliance together, to work towards achieving peace. He thanked Thor for helping him and picked up the silverware, scooping it up on his fork and eating it. It was sweet, it tasted somewhat like fruit yet had a chewy texture.

 

“Mm, wow. This is good” Bruce nodded, talking with his mouthful. Thor bobbed his head enthusiastically with agreement. The god had already eaten three slices, Bruce was mesmerized by how fast Asgardians seemed to eat and how much food they could down. Well, not all Asgardians. Loki was eating slower, savoring the taste and carefully cutting out pieces with his golden fork. Tony was right those years ago when he said Loki was a diva. Bruce could sense something was wrong with Loki though, his gaze was hard and focused. Misery shown through his eyes like it had been there all along and Bruce had yet to notice it until now.

 

“We’re really going to Midgard?” Loki suddenly asked, looking up from his food and turning to Thor. Thor’s eyebrows threaded in confusion.

 

“That is where we’re headed, yes” He responded, Thor may not have understood what Loki meant but Bruce was far too familiar with his hesitance. It was constantly feeling unwelcome, being a threat, having people prepared to kill you when you walk in the room. It was draining and lonely.

 

“It’s not exactly the best place. I doubt our people will be welcome” Loki sighed, clearly using his harshness as a defense for his feelings. It was extremely odd how much Bruce understood Loki’s concerns and fears for returning to Earth.

 

“I think they will” Bruce offered, trying to keep sympathy out of his tone because he knew Loki would likely not appreciate it. He met the god of mischief’s confound blue eyes and felt the need to console him bubble up in his chest. “There’s a place for everyone. You’d be surprised at how welcoming and _forgiving_ people can be. I’d know first hand, being a public threat and all. Not everyone is trusting or even generally nice but they get used to it, you get used to it.” Bruce didn’t go right out and address Loki’s feelings because he could feel it was a weak side for him and he honestly didn’t feel like getting on his bad side.

 

“Hmm” Loki hummed out, his eyes narrowing and staring into Bruce’s making him feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. He felt Brunhilde shift beside him, about to confront Loki for the glare but Loki spoke up again. “Right, thank you for helping me, Bruce. About my concerns for our people” Loki forced the last part, nearly forgetting to say it. He gave Bruce a small nod then returned to eating.

 

Brunhilde and Thor looked dumbfounded about what had just happened and Bruce didn’t blame them, he had just had a completely pleasant conversation with someone who had almost killed _everyone_ in the room. He even helped him a bit, gave him some comfort in his doubts. Clearly, this wasn’t something that happened often and Bruce was starting to realize why Loki was the way he is.

 

They all ate and finished their meals, conversing about Midgardian culture. Thor would talk about things he found strange about their culture and it often meant Bruce would have to interject and explain the history. Slowly the topic changed to different planets and their cultures, Bruce asking as many questions as he could and then they discussed Sakar and it’s traditions.

 

“Sakar seems to be all about entertainment, flashy environments and indulging in self-pleasures” Bruce commentated about his memories of the planet, the weird obsession they had with fame, parties and sex.

 

“You have to be new and exciting, being forgotten about is dangerous.” Loki nodded. Bruce understood why Loki seemed to be so popular there, he was constantly pulling something off that was different and he seemed to know how to hold himself in power.

 

“It’s not that hard. Some of us don’t have to sleep our way up” Brunhilde gave Loki a teasing glare. Bruce’s eyes widened and he turned to Thor who looked disgusted and like he wanted no part in this conversation. Loki had a bitter expression, glaring back at Brunhilde who seemed unfazed.

 

“I don’t see how that concerns you. It’s not like you haven’t slept with him” Loki was gripping the table angrily, he was leaning forwards in his chair, ready to get to his feet.

 

“Well, I don’t sleep with him every-” Brunhilde’s snark was cut off by Thor slamming his head into the table and letting out a dramatic groan of discomfort. _Jesus Christ._

 

“Can we _please_ change the subject” Thor complained, his face was still smushed against the tabletop. Brunhilde gave Loki a look that read; ‘you’re right, he is a child’ and shrugged their argument off, getting to her feet and walking down towards the fridge. She pulled out some liquor and started chugging it. Loki was clearly still feeling bitter so Bruce decided to be the one to bring up a new topic.

 

“Well, speaking of Sakar.. have you explored all the rooms on this ship yet? This ship is so huge, there’s gotta be something you haven’t seen.” Bruce asked Thor in particular, watching as he pulled his face up and looked at Bruce with a happy eye.

 

“No! I’ve yet to explore. I’ve been far too busy with kingly duties” Thor nearly bounced in his seat, clearly excited by the discussion of exploration. Bruce smiled warmly, it was always captivating to

see how much passion he carried with him, he always had optimism in every outlook and it was something Bruce could admire. Being around Thor always felt like sun rays were burning away his troubles, even if it was for just a few seconds.

 

“Kingly duties? You’ve been looking after Bru-” Brunhilde stopped mid sentence when Thor turned his head back to shoot her a death glare, she raised her palms in surrender then met the alcohol to her lips and chugged down more. _Was she going to say looking after me?_ Bruce knew that Thor had cared enough to have Loki check on him but he didn’t know that Thor had watched over him the whole time, it would explain him looking exhausted, half-asleep in the corner of Bruce’s room. He smiled faintly.

 

“Come, Banner, let us explore” Thor slid out of the chair and onto his feet, looking at Bruce with impatience. Bruce followed Thor’s actions and moved out of the chair, tucking it underneath the table before a strong hand met his wrist and pulled him back out into the hallway. He allowed himself to be dragged down the twisting hall by Thor until the narrow space opened up into a huge foyer. He stopped to look it over, there were hundreds of Asgardians sitting and having conversations, eating and swapping stories. Thor stopped moving too and stood beside Bruce, looking over his people then turning his gaze down. “You know, they all really like you” Bruce turned his head up to look at Thor with surprise.

 

“I think you mean Hulk?” Bruce asked. Bruce hadn’t done anything worthy of this many people’s appreciation. He watched as the Asgardians became aware of Thor and his presence, they turned their heads and their eyes lit up with recognition. Recognition wasn’t something he was used to, it was always meant for Hulk. So why would this be any different? A strong hand connecting with his neck brought him back to reality.

 

“They like _both_ of you. It was your decision in helping us.” Thor said with his lips curving in a quiet smile. Somehow, Thor managed to make his smile feel … domestic. It was warm and lazy, the feeling of butterflies and tingly cheeks were shone over Bruce by just a simple expression. _Jesus Christ, I’m pining_. Thor’s hand moved back to his own side, nodding in acknowledgment to his people before he tipped his head for Bruce to follow and began walking down towards a wider corridor. Bruce followed behind, spotting a child who was waving and returning the gesture before the foyer was too far behind.

 

“Should we just pick a random door then?” Bruce asked, scanning over all the different closed doors. The doors had little writings on them but they appeared to be in a different language.

 

“Might as well” Thor bobbed his head in agreement and dragged his fingers along the doors until he came to stop at one that had a floral design in white paint. “Hm, it reads; recreation” Thor mumbled slightly as he spoke. _Wait, how can Thor read Sakarian?_

 

“How do you know their language?” Bruce asked, intrest peaking in his tone.

 

“I learned many languages when I was young, Sakarian is generally similar to some others I know” Thor explained with a happy expression before pushing the door open and walking in. Bruce followed behind and watched Thor as he felt around for a light switch, eventually he found it as the room flickered with colour. Bruce went to shut the door behind him but it automatically closed. _Weird_. He turned around to see a dark, dimly lit empty room with a red tone. The walls were covered with mirrors and it smelled somewhat like strawberries and roses, Bruce was starting to realize what ‘recreation’ meant for Sakar and felt embarrassment rise to his cheeks. Thor didn’t seem to find it uncomfortable as he walked down the bare, cushiony floor to a panel with buttons.

 

“Wait don’t press anything” Bruce said suddenly, but apparently the god’s curiosity overtook Bruce’s warning because a faint hum of music began filling the quiet air.   

 

“Why?” Thor asked, pressing more buttons. _Oh my god, stop._ Bruce shouted internally, he felt green waves of discomfort behind his eyelids. _At least someone understands._ A sofa appeared out of the ground, it was a maroon colour and looked _really_ comfortable.

 

“This room is uh, clearly for something” The words stumbled out of his lips, trying to avoid just outright saying orgies. Thor gave him a puzzled expression before his face turned a few shades darker. Bruce had never seen Thor blush to this intensity before, so whatever it was that appeared had to be something erotic. He turned his head back to see a metal frame with whips and other leather materials hanging from hooks.

 

“Oh” Thor choked out.

 

“Yeah” Bruce agreed, walking back towards the exit, wanting to get the hell out of this room. He twisted the doorknob but it stayed still, a familiar voice played over the music.

 

“What’s the password~” The grandmaster’s voice purred through the speakers. Bruce nearly banged his head on the door with how awkward this situation was. He turned to Thor for an answer but he only shrugged.

 

“Ugh, try to see if any of the buttons will work” Bruce prayed for anything to get him out of here so his face wouldn’t have to get any darker from the obvious heavy blushing he was doing. Thor paced back to the control panel and started hitting a bunch of buttons at random. One by one, things began appearing into the once empty room. There was a silver dish with food on top, multiple large beds, drinks in different colours and more equipment. Bruce felt like he was going to die, pressing his palms up to his forehead and groaning. _Of course this had to happen._

 

Different light rays cast through the room and the music shifted to different sounds and sometimes even the grandmaster’s voice would come on and say a few things before Thor slammed another button and it changed. This went on for minutes before everything disappeared and the room was suddenly empty again. Thor grimaced and rubbed his temples, turning back to Bruce. “I don’t think any of them work” he sighed.

 

“Then, I guess we’ll have to try for the password” Bruce suggested, walking away from the entrance and sitting down on the soft flooring. This would likely take awhile. Thor joined him, moving down and sitting cross-legged.

 

“Sakar” Bruce called up to the speakers. Nothing happened.

 

“Grandmaster?” Thor joined in, glancing towards the door to see if it opened. Nothing happened. Bruce didn’t know much about the planet or even the grandmaster, so he tried what he _did_ know.

 

“Loki” he stated in a monotone voice.

 

“By the gods” Thor cursed under his breath, shooting Bruce a glare. Bruce laughed quietly, calling out a few more things and getting nothing in response.

 

The two called out different words and endlessly got nothing. Eventually, they both fell silent as they tried to think of more things to say. Bruce was the one to speak up.

 

“Do you remember which one of the buttons had the couch? We might as well have something else to sit on. I have a feeling this going to take awhile” Bruce proposed, turning towards the row of endless buttons on the other end of the room. Thor pondered Bruce’s question and steadily got back to his feet, returning to the control panel. He hesitated his finger over a button and then pressed it, a circular bed appeared at Bruce’s left.

 

“That works too” Bruce said before Thor could press more buttons and have the entire awkward situation repeated. He got to his feet and crawled up onto the bed, leaning back on one of the edges. The material underneath him was so soft that he felt like he was sinking into it. Thor presently joined him, moving to lean back on the opposite side, his large arms draping over the back of the bed. Though the bed was so huge, it almost felt like Thor was taking up half of it. His presence was so strong and Bruce was finding it hard not to look at him, especially with how the light dipped into his features, bringing them out more.

 

“Banner”

 

“Yes?” He asked, hoping that Thor hadn’t noticed Bruce practically drooling over him.

“My apologies for getting us trapped in here, hopefully, my people will notice our absence soon and come looking” Thor sighed, running a hand through his short and spiky blonde hair.

 

“It’s not your fault, how could you’ve known?” Bruce said, smiling up at Thor.

 

A comfortable silence filled the air and Bruce let his mind wander. So much had changed in just the past few days, he would never had thought himself to be so open and close to Thor. He hadn’t ever noticed the harsh focus in his eyes or the way the huge burdens he carried would melt him down until he was quiet and cold. Bruce didn’t even think it was possible to be so touchy with someone. But everything had changed in only a few hours and it was a lot to process, but at least he had new friends by his side, at least he had Thor by his side.

 

“Thank you” Thor finally said after a long silence, he looked as he was going to say more but hesitated.

 

The sound of a door opening turned Bruce’s attention. Loki was leaning in the door frame with a huge grun across his face.

 

“Oh, sorry. Rude of me to interrupt” He snarked, looking at them with mischief sparkling in his eyes. Bruce would’ve blushed if he wasn’t so thrilled to see Loki, which was a first. He quickly shuffled out of the bed and started for the exit.

 

“How did you find us?” Thor asked, clearly not wanting a certain answer as he had regret in his eye after he spoke.

 

“Well, I presume you were pressing all the buttons as one of them alerts the front of the ship” Loki explained, realization flickered through him for a moment before he turned to speak to both of them. “You didn’t drink or eat anything, did you?” he asked, concern was almost visible in his voice.

 

“Uh, no”  

 

“Alright, good good. Come now, playtime is over” Loki teased again before walking out into the hall. Bruce and Thor quickly followed in behind, not wanting to be in there for any longer.

 

“What do the drinks and food do?” Thor asked, closing the door behind them. Loki raised an eyebrow at his brother, crossing his arms.

 

“You sure you want to know that?” He asked. Thor suddenly looked sick, his lips curving with disgust.

 

The three walked back down the hall and towards the separate rooms. Time had apparently passed faster than Bruce had thought while they were in the “recreation room” because hours had gone by. They slowed when the largest door came into view and Thor swung around to bid his brother and dear friend a good night.

 

“I’ll see you in the morning Banner, Loki” He dipped his head before entering the captain’s room and shutting the door behind him. Bruce walked further down the hall with Loki at his side, they came to a stop when Loki arrived at his own room.

“For someone who’s smitten with my brother, you’re actually relatively smart” Bruce swallowed as heat flushed to his face. _Loki knew?_ “Oh please, don’t look so surprised. You’re not very good at hiding it” he chuckled.

 

“God” Bruce groaned, pressing his hands to his face and sighing deeply into them. _This might be more embarrassing than the orgy room._

 

“Unlike you, my brother is an idiot. He’s not very good with his feelings” Loki continued, looking over Bruce for a moment. “Though, he did pick out a decent outfit for you. It fits you well. Until tomorrow, Bruce” Loki waved a hand goodbye before slipping into his room and leaving a flustered Bruce in the hall alone. He wasn’t exactly sure what the hell Loki was talking about when he said Thor wasn’t good with his feelings but he decided to not let his mind wander to the possibilities and instead took the compliment about his outfit and headed down the hall back to his own room.

 

Bruce made it into his room and stripped himself of his clothes except for his boxers, carefully folding them and placing them on the dresser before he crawled into the large bed. He turned off all the light sources and stared aimlessly into the darkness around him. He tried to sleep but to no avail, he turned into different positions, tried thinking of recent events but to no avail, he found himself in another sleepless night. Normally, he’d have a reason for not sleeping. It would usually be him staying up far too late in the lab or being too afraid to sleep because of the nightmares or endless guilt but now, he didn’t have a real reason. Yet there he was, tossing and turning in the sheets and feeling his insomnia torment him.

 

Maybe it was the stress of everything that had happened recently, maybe it was just his body hating him or it could even be the fact that he shamefully couldn’t get his mind off of Thor. No matter what it was, it was clearly enough to keep him up.


	2. 2

Thor didn’t sleep much that night. Well, to be honest, he hadn’t gotten a proper night’s sleep in far too long. He spent years looking for the infinity stones, only to come up short-handed. When he had finally returned home, his brother had managed to add more troubles onto his long list. And then after the events of Ragnarok, he found it impossible to sleep. He had tried to get some rest on the first night on the ship but no matter what he did, his body refused to let him rest. 

 

  * [ three days ago ]   - 



 

“Thor sad” Hulk’s voice startled the king, bringing him out of thought. Thor turned his head back to look at Hulk, he was leaning on the large Sakarian bed with slightly concerned eyes accompanied by his normal sour expression. Hulk  _ was _ right, Thor had lost his father, mjolnir, the strand of Loki’s hair and his beloved home in only a few hours. So yes, Thor was sad. But he didn’t need to express it. A king never shows weakness, his father had taught him so and all though Odin wasn’t the greatest parent, who was Thor to disobey?    
  
“I’m not sad, I’m tired” Thor responded, looking down at his dangling legs as he sat by the edge of the bed. He wasn’t lying about saying he was tired either, in fact, he was exhausted. Only a few minutes ago he was tossing and turning in his own bed, trying desperately to sleep. After nearly an hour of trying he went to check on Hulk who luckily was still awake.

 

A strong push nearly sent him toppling off of the bed, Thor huffed with annoyance towards the practically large green toddler behind him. “Fine. I’m sad” He said rather dryly, moving to position himself back to where he was sitting before he was so rudely pushed. As he sat back, Hulk’s huge hands grabbed Thor by the waist, pulling him into his large, broad chest. Thor sighed and relaxed into the unexpected embrace. “Thank you, big guy” he spoke softly. As Hulk held him in his giant arms, Thor let himself think. Was Bruce going to come back? Of course, Thor loved spending time with Hulk but he didn’t want to lose his friend so soon, especially when he had just gotten him back. Guilt suddenly washed over him, was it his fault? While on Sakar he had asked for Hulk’s assistance to defeat Hela, Bruce voiced his concerns but Thor was too stupid to listen. 

 

“Why is blondie sad?” Hulk asked, still holding Thor against himself. 

 

“I’ve lost a lot” Thor answered truthfully, wanting to sink into Hulk’s embrace further. “I don’t know if I can find a place for my people, I don’t know if I’ll be a good king… I don’t even want to be their king” he said, words starting pour out of him. “And, what if Bruce never comes back” he paused after this, pressing his face into Hulk’s chest.  _ And what if it’s my fault that I’ll never see his beautiful face again? _

 

“Banner safe” Hulk stated, pulling Thor back from the embrace to look at him with his large brown eyes. Relief flooded over him and he smiled lightly, bringing one of Hulk’s hands to the front of his face and pressing a chaste kiss to his knuckles. This earned him a grunt from Hulk who pulled his hand out of Thor’s smaller grasp. “Thor sleep” 

 

“You’re probably right, I should try again” Thor agreed, slowly moving out of Hulk’s lap. Hulk stopped him again, grabbing his arm. Thor shifted his gaze back to him, confused. 

 

“No. Thor sleep here” Hulk insisted, using his other hand to pat at the empty side of the bed. Thor’s face heated. When he stayed in Hulk’s room on Sakar the two had gotten close, sure he could probably even say Hulk was close to a boyfriend and it was clear now that Hulk reciprocated these feelings. It was flattering but he wasn’t sure that he could share a bed with him already. Thor thought it through for a moment before deciding that it was harmless, he’d like having his lover’s comfort to help him sleep. The god crawled over to the empty part of the bed, shifting under the large, comfortable covers and leaning over to the side table to turn off the light. He felt the entire mattress move underneath him as Hulk lied down, a large arm moving to cover Thor’s side. Thor blushed, surprised by this action. He didn’t expect Hulk to be into cuddling. 

 

He slept for two hours before he felt the blankets be pulled from his side, he sat up to see Hulk thrashing, muttering slightly before he began de-hulking. Bruce’s features became more recognizable and Thor felt a pang of sadness. Quickly, he shifted out of the bed and walked around to the other side where a drowsy Bruce was sitting up, looking around with confusion. 

 

“Hey, hey” Thor hushed the smaller man, brushing his calloused hands down Bruce’s arms. He glanced down to notice that the clothing Hulk was wearing had loosened and fallen off, it layed on top of him, keeping him decent but Thor still found pink rising to his cheeks and thunder spark in his veins. He pulled the blankets over Bruce who was looking up at Thor with big, confused eyes. 

 

“Thor?” Bruce croaked, his voice sounding weak and frail. Thor’s eyebrows pushed up in concern and he pressed his hand against Bruce’s cheek instinctively. 

 

“Rest, Banner.” He said softly, moving his finger to trace down his cheek but stopping when he realized his own intent. He removed his hands from Bruce’s body, allowing the scientist to lazily nod and turn onto his side, falling asleep. 

 

Bruce slept for almost three days. 

 

  * [ present ]  - 



 

Thor didn’t have the option to go sleep with his loved one anymore. Sure, he’d love to waltz into Bruce’s room and cuddle up next to the smaller man but sadly, they weren’t like that. Thor wasn’t sure they’d ever be like that and it made his heart hurt. Instead, he swung his feet over the edge of his bed and clothed himself. There  _ was  _ someone who he knew would be awake. 

 

Thor roamed down the hallways of the ship, trying his best to be silent as he passed the rooms that occupied his people. He made a left and entered a dimly lit bar, it was empty except for Brunhilde. The Valkyrie was sitting alone in a booth in the back, listening to slow jazz music as she downed alcohol. Whatever she had gone through, it had clearly messed her up. 

“Are you just going to stand there?” her voice carried from the other end of the room, she looked up at him with raised eyebrows and she motioned with an arm for him to come join her. Thor strolled over to the booth and slipped into the seating. He looked at her clearly intoxicated smile and returned it, awkwardly. “What’s got you up?” she asked, setting the bottle down and leaning back into her seat to listen. 

 

“Stress I suppose” Thor let out a heavy sigh, leaning his face into his hand. 

 

“What for? Your boyfriend is back” Thor could’ve just ignored the comment but she said it with such a serious tone that he felt embarrassment wash over him. 

 

“He’s not my boyfriend” Thor retorted childishly.  

 

“Sadly for you, he will continue to not be until you stop acting like a fuckin’ idiot around him” Brunhilde sais simply then held her drink up before pressing her lips to the top and swallowed more down. 

 

Thor grumbled to himself, pushing his head into both hands this time. Loki and Brunhilde had picked up on his crush on Bruce almost immediately. They wouldn’t stop teasing him about it and it never failed to make him flustered. Not only did they know, but his people were starting to pick up on it as well. The three Asgardians he had spoken to happened to notice their king’s longing stare and far-too-long eye contact with Bruce and started laughing. He wondered how long it would take for the entire ship to know or even for Bruce to know. He dreaded that talk. Bruce likely didn’t return Thor’s affections, why would he? Thor was a 1500-year-old god with 1500 years worth of issues. That was the last thing Bruce needed. 

 

“You’re like a lovesick puppy” Brunhilde laughed warmly. Though Thor didn’t exactly appreciate the joking right now, he wouldn’t lie and say she wasn’t good company. It was nice to just, relax. It didn’t last for much longer though as her gaze flickered back towards the entrance. Thor followed her eyeline and spotted the small sleepy scientist peering into the entrance, his heartbeat picked up slightly. “Oh god, please don’t act all awkward with him around me” Brunhilde whispered, grimacing slightly.

 

“Hey, uh- sorry if I’m interrupting something I just couldn’t sleep and I heard music so “ Bruce fumbled with his words and apologetically smiled. Thor shook his head and waved Bruce over. 

 

“Come Banner! You’re welcome to join us” Thor said a little too cheerfully and he heard Brunhilde mutter slightly. She shifted over so Bruce could sit down. Shortly, Bruce crossed the room and joined them. “What has you awake my friend?” he asked once Bruce was settled. 

 

“I have too many thoughts in my head” Bruce shrugged. Thor frowned when he noticed the familiar dark bags under his eyes, he had often seen Bruce awake and depriving himself of sleep when they lived in Stark’s tower. He would stay up for hours working on things with Tony and drinking endless amounts of coffee, he never understood how the human body could withstand that. Thor had even witnessed Bruce passing out in the middle of a conversation. He clearly didn’t take very good care of himself and it made Thor worried.

 

“I normally have tea or something to calm myself down” Bruce sighed.  

 

“I have some” Thor said a little too quickly. “I mean, I don’t like tea. But I remember seeing some in my quarters” he tried to fix the sentence but Bruce clearly didn’t seem to mind as he was smiling, a truly genuine smile that made Thor’s heart flutter. Energy pulsed through his veins as he held back the thunder that roared for the scientist. 

 

“I haven’t had tea in.. I guess years” Bruce’s voice glowed with joy and Thor froze. He stared into Bruce’s soft, tired eyes and felt like he was going to melt. His hair was swept into different directions and he found its colour resembled that of a storm cloud, dark greys mixed in with lighter shades. Thor’s eye flickered down to Bruce’s jaw next. He had kept his facial hair without maintenance so he was slowly growing a beard and by the gods, was it attractive. He started realizing that he was now looking at Bruce’s lips and how they were slightly parted as he smiled ever so handsomely. _ Am I leaning forwards? _

 

A sharp sigh made Thor flinch and he forced himself to sit back. Brunhilde was glaring at Thor, clearly mad that she was stuck watching him as he mooned over Bruce. “Well, are you two just going to sit here and eye fuck each other or are you going to go get some tea?” she teased, giving them both impatient looks. Thor blushed with embarrassment. 

 

“Yes, right. Tea.” Thor nodded, he had nearly forgotten about it. He scooted out of his seat and onto his feet. Bruce followed this action and Thor looked down at him. The smaller man’s height reached to his shoulders, it was cute. He fought the urge to take Bruce’s hand in his as they dangled next to each other. Bruce’s devilishly attractive features matched with such fitting attire made Thor’s heart race, giving him urges that made him dizzy. He’d have to push them away. 

 

“I’m, kind of excited?” Bruce sounded delighted as he leaned back on his heels. Thor chuckled and pressed a hand onto Bruce’s back, leading him out of the room. He turned his head to say goodbye to Brunhilde but she was smirking at him, then proceeded to wink. Thor rolled his eye at her then walked out into the hall with Bruce at his side. “What flavors are they? Oh my god, is there different tea flavors in space?” Bruce was nearly bouncing as he walked down the hall, Thor was looking at him with soft eyes, admiring the man’s passion, even for such simple things. 

 

“I’m not sure. Guess we’ll have to find out” Thor smiled down at him, opening his door as they made it to his room. When Bruce walked in Thor shut the door behind him, walking down towards one of the cabinets and looking through a drawer before he pulled out a box of tea and threw it at Bruce who caught it with an excited smile. 

 

“Uh, this is in Sakarian” Bruce said with a quizzical expression as he attempted to read the box, his eyes were narrowed as if it would help the words make sense. Thor paid attention to the wrinkle by his nose when he squinted, it was adorable. “Hm. It has pictures of flowers on it, so it can’t be dangerous” Bruce shrugged it off and looked around until he spotted a pitcher with clean water and started boiling it over a clear, glass-like material. “God, technology is so much more advanced out here” Bruce said with wide eyes, feeling the heat from it with the back of his hand, hovering it a few inches away. 

 

“Your amazement with different cultures and technologies is cute”  _ amusing, I meant to say amusing.  _ Thor cursed at himself, embarrassed that he had slipped up like that. Bruce’s face lit up a brighter shade and he turned his gaze away from Thor, focusing on the now bubbling water.

 

“Uh, thanks?” Bruce laughed it off, moving to the cabinet and pulling out a teacup. He placed it on the counter and put a teabag in, pouring the water in shortly after. “You sure you don’t want to try some?” Bruce asked, regaining eye contact with the god. Thor shook his head in response. 

 

“I don’t like it. It’s too flavorless for me” 

 

Light laugher came from Bruce, “Oh right, you prefer sugar. You know, Tony came to me complaining that you had eaten his chocolate once and that you had added like fifty poptarts to his shopping list” Bruce laughed again, with his mouth closed and curved upwards as his body slightly bounced with his laughs. Eventually, it died out and it was replaced with a serious look. “But seriously. I can tell you’re not sleeping. And, I’m worried about you dude. You’ve gone through a lot in these past days” Bruce leaned himself up against the counter, looking up at Thor with concerned eyes. 

 

“Don’t fret, dear Banner” He paused when the ‘dear’ came out, nearly grimacing at how he had now made two slip ups. “I shall find a proper night's rest soon” He tried to sound more reassuring but he was doubting his own words. Thor moved and settled on the edge of his bed, looking over at Bruce who had finished steeping his tea and was now gulping it down. Thor could almost spot bliss in his gaze as he drank the flower tasting drink. 

 

“Soon isn’t good enough” Bruce interjected, walking over to stand in front of Thor. He took another sip from the teacup before taking a deep breath, “Is something keeping you from falling asleep?” he asked, setting the teacup down on a nearby table before he moved and sat down next to Thor on the bed. Thor stared down at is feet, he had already talked about his feelings twice and had yet to feel better. Plus, he didn’t want to burden his friend with his own troubles. “Thor, you can tell me” 

 

Tears suddenly started bubbling up to the surface, threatening to spill out of his eye. He shifted his head to look up, gritting his teeth together as he fought back tears.  _ This is pathetic.  _ Thor somehow found it impossible to hold his feelings back from Bruce’s understanding stare. So he was going to talk. 

He was going to talk, even though it made him feel weak and scared. 

 

“I’m a terrible king” He stated. When Thor had told Hulk about his troubles he was doubtful of his abilities, but now, he was sure. He spent nearly three days watching over Bruce when he should’ve been tending to his people. His own guilt had prevented him from doing something as simple as talking to people. How could he be a good king after that? As wet, hot tears rolled down one of his cheeks, he looked down at his hands, not wanting to look at Bruce and see his pity. “My father is dead” grief washed over him when he said it, thinking of how he wouldn’t ever have his father’s guidance again. He had pinned his father’s death on Loki, his poor, poor misguided brother. His brother that had suffered endlessly. “I’m a terrible brother” he was nearly whimpering now, using a hand to wipe away his tears. “And I’m in lo- huh?” Thor stopped when Bruce leaned up against him. He turned to see Bruce sleepily look up at him, wrapping his arms around Thor’s waist in a hug. Blush rose to his face immediately, sparks threatening to snap at the tips of his fingers.

 

“I’m sorry” Bruce mumbled, looking slightly like he was dozing off. 

 

“Are you alright, Bruce?” Thor asked, moving his hand to rest against Bruce’s cheek.

 

“Hmm? Oh. I think that tea had.. sleep stuff” he mumbled, closing his eyes slightly. Thor felt Bruce’s arms weaken around him. Thor laughed softly, hesitantly getting to his feet. 

 

“Why don’t you sleep here? I don’t think you can make it back to your room without me carrying you” Thor offered, pressing his hands to Bruce’s arms so he could sit up properly. Bruce nodded slowly then … giggled?

 

“I wouldn’t be opposed, to you carry.. carrying me.” Bruce nearly whispered, fumbling with his words as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Thor blinked in disbelief, his grip tightening on Bruce’s shoulders.  

 

“Do you even know what you’re saying? Or are you half asleep?” Thor asked, still shocked that Bruce had  _ flirted  _ with him? Bruce shook his head no and Thor took that as an  _ ‘I’m too tired to know what’s coming out of my mouth’.  _ He exhaled, moving Bruce carefully onto his feet, letting the small man lean into him as they walk around to one of the sides of the bed. Bruce lazily climbed in and kicked off his shoes, snuggling into the pillow and adjusting the blanket over himself. Thor took a moment to look at how peaceful Bruce looked. He would try the tea himself but he was afraid that nightmares would accompany him, so instead, he turned to turn the light off then headed out to talk to Brunhilde again. 

 

“Wait, wait. Youshouldsleeptoo” Bruce’s words sounded like just one, his eyelids were open just enough that Thor could spot sincerity. Thor swallowed, looking at Bruce.

 

“But you-”

 

“I don’t mind” Bruce interrupted, shuffling over more to the side of the bed. Thor stared at Bruce, then the bed for a moment, contemplating while he looked up at him. With a sigh, he gave in. Bruce smiled goofily then closed his eyes and let his head slump back onto the pillow. Thor walked to the other side of the bed, pulling off his armor. He changed into different pants, then turned around to see Bruce looking at him. “You’re a good king, you know?” Bruce said softly, patting the bed with a hand. Thor raised his eyebrow.

 

“Why do you say so?”

 

“Cause, you try for them. Even though you don’t want to” Thor froze, he hadn’t told anyone but Hulk about that. Was that Hulk speaking or? He didn’t have much time to think about it before snoring interrupted him. Bruce was finally passed out. Thor pulled himself cautiously into the comfortable sheets, turning his back to face away from Bruce. 

 

“Thank you” he said to the asleep man.

 

The warm company of his friend easily lulled Thor into sleep. 

 

-

 

The days after this event were awkward, well it was mainly Thor. He walked around Bruce like he had two left feet, stumbling or tripping. Normally, when he had crushes it wasn’t this terrible. He could flirt fine, he was good with affections and handling them but when it came to  Bruce… things were different. He tried to show his feelings for the man almost every time that they had some sort of alone time, but it never ended well. 

 

“Bruce. I’ve been on countless planets and I’ve seen hundreds of different species but yo- “ Before he could finish his compliment, Thor’s arm that he was using to lean against a doorframe, slipped. He didn’t have much time to panic before his face smacked into the wall and he fell down. Pain throbbed through his nose and he watched Bruce run over to his side, pressing hands on Thor’s arms. 

 

“Jesus!” Bruce shouted with surprise. Thor held his hand against his nose, knowing for a fact that there was blood. Bruce moved Thor’s hand away and checked him over, talking about how he had trained as a doctor for a while. 

 

This was only one of the many embarrassing things Thor had done. He had said things that should’ve been a compliment but came out more as a weird insult that he quickly apologized for, he caused thunder to roar in the background when he watched Bruce laugh, he even mistakenly tried to wink at him before realizing how that couldn’t work. Things were starting to spiral as his feelings for Bruce became stronger. Through all of this terrible flirting from Thor, Bruce and him still managed to find comfort in sharing a bed. The smaller man would accompany him to his room, trying more tea as an excuse to pass out with the god next to him. Eventually, Bruce didn’t even need to drink the tea and he’d just join Thor in his room, curling up in his bed and they’d talk until one of them passed out.

 

“Thor?” Loki’s unamused voice spoke over his thoughts. Thor blinked over to Loki who had entered his room, fear was shining in his widened eyes. Thor immediately got to his feet, not many things scared his brother so it had to be bad. He looked around the room for his sword. Whatever it was, it was going to pay for having made his brother so scared. Loki didn’t need more things on his list of troubles. 

 

“Hulk is back” Okay, maybe not him. Thor stopped looking for his sword and turned to look back at Loki. Had Loki done something to provoke Bruce? Was Bruce in danger? Fear sparkled through him and he made a B-line for the entrance, swinging out into the halls. “Thor, you idiot! You don’t even know where he is” Loki called, following Thor down the hallway. 

 

“What did you do, Loki” Thor snapped, turning at his heel to look at him. Loki narrowed his eyes and scoffed. 

 

“I did nothing! You should be pointing fingers at yourself. He was yelling about  _ you _ ” Thor felt uneasiness bubble in his stomach, he grabbed his brother’s shoulder. 

 

“Bring me to him” He said sternly. Loki nodded and paced down the halls. They winded down the obnoxiously long flooring until they made into a different lounge room, Brunhilde was stroking Hulk’s arms carefully, whispering something to him. 

 

“Blondie” Hulk demanded, gripping the sides of the broken couch he was sitting on. Thor swallowed, Hulk was asking for him? Brunhilde cupped Hulk’s face. 

 

“Thor’s coming okay?” she hushed him, turning to look at the brothers who were standing at the door. “See? There he is” she said, removing her hands from his face and stepping back to lock eye contact with Thor, she looked worried and angry. Hulk looked over at Thor and got to his feet, marching over. Thor nearly flinched as two large hands crashed down on his shoulders. 

 

“Banner angry” Hulk said, his grip tightening on Thor. Loki had somehow managed to disappear during this, clearly still afraid of Hulk. 

 

“Why is he angry, beloved?” Thor asked, wincing slightly to all the pressure on his shoulders. He hadn’t even realized he let a pet name slip until Hulk furrowed his brows and removed his hands from Thor, crossing his arms across his chest. Thor sighed and he turned to look at Brunhilde who looked slightly surprised. “Can we talk in private?” 

 

“Of course, beloved” She snarked, waving her hand goodbye to Hulk before leaving the room to just Hulk and Thor. 

 

“What happened, big guy?” Thor asked, reaching up to grab Hulk’s hands. He could only grab a single finger in his full fists. Hulk grunted. 

 

“Banner scared, Thor’s fault” Hulk’s gruff voice nearly sounded annoyed as he stared down at his smaller, basically boyfriend. Thor clutched Hulk’s fingers tightly,  _ my fault? _

 

“Hulk. As much as I really do love seeing you, I must speak to Banner. You understand this right?” Thor asked desperation came off a little too strongly in his tone. He really did want Hulk to stay, the last time he had seen him he was happily cuddled right up next to him. It was comforting. But he had to know what was wrong with Bruce or it would eat him up inside.

 

“Yes..” Hulk frowned, one of his hands rested on Thor’s face, basically covering up one side of his entire head. Thor was still surprised by how intimate Hulk seemed to be. He leaned into the touch and kissed the rough palm of Hulk’s hand. 

“Thank you” Thor breathed softly.

 

Hulk slowly started shrinking, the green colour getting paler as he grunted with pain and confusion. Eventually, Bruce lay there in loose, torn up Asgardian pants. Bruce took a deep shuddered breath, looking around the room and steadying his eyes on Thor. 

 

“I’m sorry” Bruce said immediately, holding up some of the torn pieces of fabric. “I ruined it” Bruce sounded so disappointed. Thor shook his head and knelt down to be at his friend’s level, grabbing his hands and helping him to his feet. Bruce shuffled towards the broken couch with a huff and sat down. 

 

“It’s fine, Banner” Thor sighed, stressfully running a hand through his hair. Thor swore he saw Bruce glare up at him, it could just be his lack of two eyes to confirm it. 

 

“Bruce” His voice was sharp as he looked up at Thor, he was definitely glaring.   

 

“What?” 

 

“You’ve been calling me by my actual name. What changed? Did I do something?” Bruce was looking more upset now, getting to his feet so he could look into Thor’s eye properly. Thor blinked in confusion, had he? He tried to think back to the time he had been using his friend’s real name. It was when Bruce was sleepily hugging him after listening to Thor’s problems, his soft, tired face smiling up at him. It almost made Thor’s heartbeat start picking up again.Things were so domestic then, and Thor just wanted more. He didn’t want to be running around the spaceship, trying not to want to hold Bruce’s hand or run his hands through his curls. He wanted to be able to cuddle Bruce when he was tired and couldn’t sleep, he wanted to be with him and Thor realized that he shouldn’t hold it off any longer. He stared into Bruce’s eyes for a few more seconds before opening his mouth. His heartbeat picked up drastically. 

 

“Bruce, I have fee-” A huge ripple of thunder crashed through his sentence and Bruce stumbled in surprise, his soft, sad brown eyes were now wide and confused.  _ Why can’t I do this  _ Thor thought dully, pressing a hand to his forehead. 

 

“Why is everyone acting so weird around me too? Like, laughing? I know it’s a stupid thing to hulk out on but I can’t stop thinking i’m doing something wrong” Bruce continued on his rant and Thor was still trying to collect himself from his failed attempt to telling Bruce of his feelings. He focused on what the smaller man was saying,  _ they laugh because you haven’t figured out my feelings for you _ . Thor got impatient and cut into Bruce’s rant, maybe I can just show him I like him instead. 

 

“Can I kiss you?” Thor said suddenly, placing two firm hands on Bruce’s shoulder. Blush rose to Bruce’s face and he ducked out of Thor’s grip, looking up at him with bewilderment. Thor regretted doing that. 

 

“What the fuck. THERE’S BETTER WAYS TO TELL ME TO SHUT UP” Bruce shouted, staring daggers into Thor. Thor let out a huge groan, flustering at the fact that he’d have to actually say it, or at least attempt to say it again. 

 

“Bruce, no. I just-” Thunder clasped in the background again and this time Bruce stumbled in surprise, steadying himself by holding onto Thor’s arms. “I HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU!” He shouted over the thunder only to realize that it had died down. He had just yelled in a perfectly quiet room, he wouldn't be surprised if the whole ship heard him. Bruce looked up at him with rounded eyes, his blush was still present and his grip tightened as his held Thor’s arms. 

 

“Oh” Bruce breathed out. He removed his hands from Thor, a shy smile spread across his face and he looked down at his feet. Thor’s heart fluttered. “But, me?” Bruce asked, looking back up at Thor with confusion, like it didn’t make sense.

 

“Yes, Bruce. You” Thor nodded. 

 

“Yes” Bruce said softly. “Yes, you can kiss me” he finished, returning his hands to grasp Thor’s arms and leaning up towards his face. Thor nearly froze. But he managed to lean down in time, filling the gap between the two of them. Thor raised his hands to cup Bruce’s face, placing soft kisses against his lips. He wondered if Bruce could feel his heartbeat quickening, but he couldn’t focus on that question for much longer as he nearly whimpered at how desperately Bruce kissed back. Thor slowly walked them towards a wall, deepening the kiss when Bruce’s back met something solid. 

 

“Gods, at least do this somewhere less public” Loki’s voice pulled Thor away from Bruce’s face, his hands still holding Bruce’s jaw and Bruce’s hands had made their way down Thor’s back and one into his hair. Thor took a step back from Bruce, apologetically smiling to his brother who rolled his eyes. “You two are idiots. Why did this take you both so long” Loki was smiling at them with one hand on his hip. “You do know you two have slept in the same bed together multiple times, you didn’t think either of you had feelings for each other? “ Loki raised an eyebrow at them then shrugged, walking back out into the hallway. 

 

“Well” Bruce mumbled, still leaning against the wall and blushing heavily from that interaction. 

 

“Does this mean you like me?” Thor asked. Bruce let out a breathless sigh, pressing a palm to his forehead. 

 

“Thor, I just made out with you”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, I despise my writing style but you guys are too kind! I hope you enjoyed and be on the look out for some more thorbruce stuff in the future!


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